Oct 30, 2011

Eddy Grant is a Plaisance, Guyana born musician. When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park. He had his first Number One hit in 1968, when he was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the multiracial group The Equals, with his self-penned song "Baby Come Back". The tune also later topped the UK Singles Chart again when covered by Pato Banton. Notably, he openly used his songwriting for political purposes, especially against the then-current apartheid regime of South Africa.The Equals were a pop/reggae/rock group that formed in North London, England in 1965. Eddy Grant, then sporting dyed blonde hair, founded the group. Also in the original line-up were the twin brothers Derv and Lincoln Gordon, as well as John Hall and Pat Lloyd.

Oct 24, 2011

Sixty Nine were a rock based instrumental organ drums duo following in the footsteps of Hansson and Karlsson. Given the limitations of such a small setup, it takes quite a bit of imagination and sound variation to keep things interesting. On "Circle of the Crayfish", they do manage to get some outlandish sounds out of the organ, and combined with the riproaring tempos, the group do keep things hopping for the most part. There's even an introspective electronic piece. Even with all of the innovations applied, the album still sounds too monolithic for its own good.

Oct 23, 2011

"Covering Clapton From Cream And Beyond" contains covers of some of Eric Clapton's most popular recordings as played by veteran guitarists Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Rick Derringer and Pat Travers. Concentrating primarily on the Cream repertoire, this CD also contains covers of material from Clapton's work with John Mayall and from his solo career. A guitar tour de force, "Covering Clapton From Cream And Beyond" is brimming with guitar brilliance from four of the world's most revered guitarists.

Oct 22, 2011

This is a progressive rock trio from Finland, originally released in 1971. Their album comprised bluesy progressive rock with electric guitar and organ to the fore and sung in English. Their sound is typical of the Scandinavian stuff of the time being somewhat influenced by that Nordic folk sound, but also they had a heavy blues base to their music. The main instrument used is the Hammond organ, as there is lot's of manic playing. There is also some nice guitar.

Oct 21, 2011

Not one of the more interesting period artifacts from the Detroit rock scene of the late '60s and early '70s, Bump took after neither the thrilling proto-punkish heavy rock of state mates the MC5 and the Stooges nor the raucous blue-eyed rock & soul of the Rationals and Mitch Ryder, and there are no hints of a Motown influence. Too bad on all counts, because, instead, the band opts for a psychedelicized brand of minor-key pop/rock with progressive flourishes that wants to be eerie but just as often comes off flat and uninspired. For the most part, the songs are just not there. There are a few things on this CD reissue of Bump's only album that could be construed as quaint reminders of a bygone era, even if they ultimately only act as reminders of how much better the best first- and second- (even third-) tier bands from that period were. Nevertheless, the brief snippet "Holly Thorndike" is so adorably twee and prissy it could have come off an early Bee Gees record (but only if it were better produced, performed, and recorded), and who knows how songs such as "Daydream Song" and "Spider's Eyes" may have come off in a smoke- and incense-choked room or through the filter of a swirling acid haze. Bump tries hard to be atmospheric, to work the same ominous side of the pop spectrum as the Doors and Procol Harum, and in that respect the album means well, but it's also derivative and completely cheesy faux psych-pop -- not the real thing at all, even though it pastes on the fuzz guitar and echo and every other sordid effect it can find. More often than not, the paper-thin organ riffs sound more roller-rink than ballroom, and the melodies more merry-go-round than psychedelic, and after only a few songs, George Runyan's expressiveless voice -- and hence the album that it carries just turns hopelessly grating.

Tracklist:

1. Sing Into The Wind
2. State Of Affairs
3. Daydream Song
4. Holly Thorndike
5. Got To Get You Back
6. Spider's Eyes
7. Clean Myself
8. From My Slot
9. Lifelines, Decisions, You Can't Even ThinkBonus tracks:
10. Winston Built The Bridge (From The Pioneer 45" 1969)
11. Sing Into The Wind (From The Pioneer 45" 1969)

Oct 20, 2011

Throughout the years, there have been oodles and oodles of Led Zeppelin tribute albums. And many of these releases feature hard rock bands that merely replicate Zep classics note for note, karaoke-style. In 2007, along came Vanilla Fudge's "tip of the cap" to Bonham-Jones-Page-Plant, titled Out Through the In Door. Unlike most other bands that have covered Zep, Vanilla Fudge actually have some honest to goodness history with the group they're paying homage to, as Zep supported the Fudge on one of their earliest U.S. tours, back in 1969. And it's common knowledge among drummers that John Bonham studied -- and perhaps even borrowed a thing or two from the Fudge's powerhouse drummer, Carmine Appice. What makes Out Through the In Door work unlike many other Zep tributes is that Vanilla Fudge inject their own style and approach to the tunes, and aren't afraid to stray a bit from the original compositions. One case in point is "Ramble On," which gets much more soulful (especially in the chorus), and another is the nice touch provided by Mark Stein's organ flourishes on "Fool in the Rain" while both elements collide in an impressively haunting reading of "Dazed and Confused." Few Zep tribute albums or even most classic rock tribute albums in general work as well as Out Through the In Door does.

Oct 19, 2011

This dark masterpiece was produced by Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, who also guests on the album. Recorded at London’s Morgan Studios in 1973 these sombre downer-rock merchants put together a truly unique album that more than befitted their twilight image. Lead guitarist Barry Dunnery’s fretboard dexterity is both striking and original and his intelligently arranged chord sequences are often briskly intersected by tense, jagged time changes. The album is topped off with the mournful and twisted vocals of the late Bill Branch, a singer whose inherent anguish and torment is expressed despairingly throughout, creating an atmosphere of desolation and dismay.

Oct 11, 2011

Silverhead were a British band, fronted by the singer/actor, Michael Des Barres. The other members of the band were: Robbie Blunt (guitar), Rod Rook Davies (guitar, percussion, vocals), Nigel Harrison (bass guitar) and Pete Thompson (Drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals). They recorded two studio albums, Silverhead (1972) and 16 and Savaged (1973), and were a part of the glam rock music scene of the 1970s.
Despite that they had no real commercial success, Silverhead were serious role models for many sleaze bands in the 80s. In the UK they played support to bands such as Nazareth at Finsbury Park and Osibisa at the Brixton Sundown, and were the lead band in the Dagenham Roundhouse. Work on a third studio album (working title 'Brutiful') started in 1974, but the group disbanded in July 1974 before it was finished.

Oct 10, 2011

Snowy White is one of a handful of classic blues-orientated British electric guitar players - musicians whose sound, technique and style has echoed the originality of the blues with the excitement of contemporary rock. Read more

Oct 5, 2011

Color were founded in 1975 in Debrecen, Hungary by Gyula Bokor (keys), Tibor Bokor (bass, vocal), Attila Bokor (drum, vocal). Attila and Tibor were students of Medical University of Debrecen.Later, in 1976 Laszlo Polya (guitar) and Emil Lamer (cello) joined.Their first album was released in 1978. It was the first symphonic rock style album in Hungary.Their style was unique, with cello, rich polyphonic vocal, plenty of mellotron. They were influnced by Pink Floyd, BJH, Genesis, but their style was original.The guitarist and cellist left the group in 1979. The new guitarist, Miklos Felkai joined at the end of 1979.Their second album was released in 1982, named Új Színek (New colours). On this album, they changed, the music became rather simplier Aor-ish rock, in the vein of Saga and Styx.The younger brother Attila Bokor left the group in 1983. In 1984, they did the third album, but this di not get released until 1999, as a bonus and reissue of second album.